When people look to have their portrait made, it is interesting from a physiological perspective. Look, we all have some sense of vanity. We all have a notion in our minds of how we hope the world sees us. For me, a posed portrait is an opportunity for the photographer to make beautiful images of that individual's facade. Nothing more.
Candid photography can help capture the spirt of an individual below that facade in a way a posed portrait can’t. But, one of the best ways to get real, sometimes very raw, candid shots of your subjects is to set them up for the posed portrait and then do something off the wall to have them react. Then, the person is exposed for who they truly are.
For me, that’s where the true beauty lies.
This is a portrait of a good friend of mine taken in January of 2010 in downtown Denver. What I think makes this shot interesting is how she connects with the viewer via her eyes. Eyes are a window into the soul. And hence, a window into the true self of the person being photographed. I’ll let you in on a little secret - this was not the first shot in this proverbial pose.
This shot came about half way through this portrait session. As my friend was posing, I was telling jokes and making her laugh. Then, I said something I knew she would react to, and I got this. Her raw emotion.
Don’t get me wrong, a LOT of post processing magic was done on this shot. But, at the end of the day, I ended up with something that was unique, beautiful, and shows the essence of this individual.
Facades have their place in this image driven world. But, sometimes it is nice to contrast the social norm with something that is raw, captivating, and truly tells a story. A Look All Her Own, I believe, accomplishes this.
This image is not for sale. However, if you are interested in information for a portrait session, please contact me.